Tommy Elphick has nothing to prove to Hull City fans this weekend, they all know what he can do and have the defender to thank for the position the club currently finds itself in.

In fact, despite being an Aston Villa player since 2016, he still needs to prove himself to the Villa Park faithful after Dean Smith opted to activate a recall clause in his loan contract with the Tigers

However, it seems he hasn’t been able to fully find his feet in claret and blue yet and was replaced by new signing Kortney Hause after 63 minutes in the 3-0 loss to Wigan Athletic last Saturday.

As such, while he will be excited to play against the Tigers, he will be more than focused on trying to win over the Villa fans.

Elphick spent four months at City and found his form quickly in black and amber to help steady what was a young and turbulent backline through his superior Championship nous and leadership.

Read More

However, while Elphick performed admirably most weeks for the Tigers, the biggest impact he made was on young duo Reece Burke and Jordy de Wijs, have kept three clean sheets since the defender returned to his parent club.

His departure may still be fresh in the minds of City fans, but already Elphick’s legacy is clear to see. Don't get me wrong, they've seen a bit of luck as well, but the centre-back pairing have more than stepped up to the plate in the former Bournemouth man's absence.